Special Deal going on During May
Special Deal going on During May
For the remainder of this month (May 2013) we are making a special offer. We’re calling it The Spotlight Jr. Collection.
It includes:
- up to 8 hours of coverage
- Bride prep
- 3 camera angles during the ceremony
- The main events during the reception
- The Spotlight Film
- A raw archive of the footage on a hard drive
This collection is only going to run $1000* and this deal is only good until the end of the month.
For more details, our availability, or if you have any questions, please contact us here.
*price does not include travel fees.
What a Week!
What A Week!
Well, last night, we premiered our first short film at the 2013 Modern Pioneer Film Festival with Tim Day (dayatthemovies.com). It won the festival and we were asked to do an interview and panel.
This was truly an incredible experience and we hope to have many more.
I must thank our cast and crew (Jacob, James Wheeler, and Abby Johnson) because they made this movie happen. Below are links to the movie and the festival.
The Hostage Movie
The 2013 Modern Pioneer Film Festival interview
Something A Little Different
Something A Little Different
Hey guys,
It has been a while. It has become rather apparent that blogging isn’t a habit that has been easy for me to get into.
Lately, we have found a little break in the wedding video side of things and have ventured into making a short film.
A few months ago, Jacob and I made a faux-movie trailer for one of his media classes. After completing it, Tim Day (Day at the Movies) asked us to submit a film to the Lubbock Christian University Film Festival. It wasn’t a hard decision to make.
Our actor, James Wheeler, wreaking havoc on some unsuspecting individuals
Last month, or so, I wrote a script and last week we started production. So far, we have had 5 full production days and have at least one more.
This is going to be an action/suspense movie. Having watched action movies for as long as I can remember, this is the project that I have been waiting for. I am anxious to share it with everyone after it makes its premiere at the Film Festival.
With the limited time we’ve had to work on this, it has been a process of coming home after shooting and immediately logging the footage and editing, compositing and coloring, since there wasn’t going to be time to do post production after shooting was completed. So, it’s all been happening at once.
It has been a wonderful experience and I owe it all to my amazing crew: Jacob Hamil, James Wheeler, and Abby Johnson.
It has been an all or nothing kind of project and everybody has had multiple jobs. Whether it’s acting, running a camera, holding the shot slate, a microphone, or a bounce card, everybody has done just about everything.
Once the movie is released, we will have a blooper reel. Jacob has been piecing it together as the dailies come in and has had a hard time editing because he can’t stop laughing. I hope everyone else enjoys seeing how we keep our sanity on these long shoots (or lose it depending on how you view it).
On another topic, we have recently been given presented with some great opportunities and one exceptionally unique opportunity. As more develops on this particular course, Jacob and I will be keeping everyone updated. I’m very excited to share what it is, but, you will just have to wait. But, believe me when I say that it is something that everyone will want to be a part of.
Until next time…
-Ross
The Day You Long to Remember
The Day You Long to Remember
Weddings provide life-long memories of a day that one spends months (or years) to plan and on which one can spend thousands (or tens of thousands) yet only lasts a few hours and is often lost in the vortex of faulty human recollection. This day teems with undeniably beautiful moments that race in and out of existence, sometimes in a single instance. Despite the criticisms of amateur videographers, professional wedding filmmakers capture whole moments, both visual and auditory, that single images cannot.
The wedding day, for the couple, is typically the busiest, most stressful day that either of them will have had to that point in their lives. It is a beautiful collection of breathtaking moments that the couple, their friends, and their families will want to remember for the rest of their days. Although it is an incredibly involved day on the part of many, it tends to flash by in one incredibly emotion-filled instant. In many ways, the bride and groom are so overwhelmed by love, laughs, hugs, and tears that they hardly remember specifics of the day once it has passed. From preparation to riding off in a sunset bound limo, the beautiful moments make their appearance throughout the day, sometimes without the knowledge of the bride and groom. Wedding videography is an industry designed to capture all the beautiful aspects of this special day of the two souls’ cohesion. One monumental facet of this encapsulation is the recording of audio.
The audio reproduction is, most likely, one of the most tremendous grounds on which having the wedding filmed should become priority. There are innumerable amounts of advice and wishes bestowed on the bride and groom, but the sum is so immense that most of these things are forgotten. One particular audio token that will remain special to the couple is the wise advice the parents and grandparents bestow upon them, such as the fact that when “things get tough for the couple, communication is key” or “’Yes m’am’ is always the best answer.” Along with that and, perhaps more important, the exact vows shared between the bride and groom accompanied by their affirmation of “I do” during the ceremony are captured in their entirety. Although both these topics will always be remembered, no one wants to forget the wonderful wishes of love conveyed through the toasts at the reception. Despite the fact that film captures audio in a wedding, film can also catch an entire moment, not just a single glimpse.
The photographer has an incredible job in catching a beautiful moment inside a single frame, but film can capture an entire moment that can be relived over and over. Video grasps live action that photographs may not necessarily be able to convey, such as the flower girls picking each other’s noses in the reception or the ring bearer growling as he marches the pillow with the rings down the aisle. It also allows the bride and groom to revisit the experiences they enjoyed the most along with moments for which they couldn’t be present, like what the groomsmen and bridesmaids did to the car in which bride and groom leave the event. Film provides many different ways to enjoy whole moments, but the industry receives a fair bit of criticism because of amateurs who claim to be professionals.
Wedding film and videos have taken a hit since film cameras and camcorders became affordable to the general public. Hiring professional filmmakers is a great way to give that cousin with the camcorder from 1993 a rest. It also provides a beautiful way for the couple and family to enjoy their day without the stress of worry for the poor lad. Time and time again, filmmakers are told of disasters with film amateurs such as a friend agreeing to video for free and never showing up or a cousin losing all the video cards and then claiming that he gave them to the bride. Wedding film is not a “lights, camera, ACTION!” affair, and the professional filmmakers will make it a priority to remain invisible to those around them. Most likely the biggest reason couples won’t hire filmmakers is due to price. Why not pay for something that isn’t restricted by time as opposed things that are? Couples will pay copious amounts of money for flowers and dresses that will only be used for a single day. The investment in having a beautiful high quality reproduction of that special day is more than worth the money that is spent on it.
The wedding day is, most likely, the most stressful day in the couple’s life up to that point, and the memories of that day will continually fade over the years to come, unless they can be reminded of them. Hiring filmmakers is a great way to capture a large portion of the beautiful moments and the audio that it entails rather than just a silent, single slice of that moment. This capture can be conveyed in high definition film that will be a fantastically vivid reminder of that special day. Wedding filmmakers work tirelessly to re-frame the predisposition against wedding film by creating beautiful masterpieces of timeless memorabilia for the bride and groom to cherish for the rest of their days. Although harsh criticism revolves around amateur videographers, professional filmmakers make it their priority to capture whole moments, visual and auditory, that can be relived time and time again.
Out of the Darkness
Out of the Darkness
From Ross:
Sometimes, we get to break away from wedding videos and TV commercials. It’s very refreshing when those opportunities arise because, we are given full creative control with very little agenda.
A few weeks ago, we were approached by a committee at Lubbock Christian University to produce a short film for their Out of the Darkness week. In short, it is a week devoted to raising awareness for the on-campus counseling center.
All we were given was the four topics (guilt, anxiety, anger, and self worth) and told to keep it under 10 minutes. From there, it was up to us. Due to some other irons in the fire, we really only had 2 weeks to complete the job.
So, once we decided to do this, we jumped in face first and didn’t look back. Between Jacob and I, we spent quite a bit of time on the phone, Skype, and the Facebook instant messenger working on pre-production. It was the most hectic project we’ve taken on. The way it had to work was, we started shooting before pre-production was completed. We only had a solid script for the first shoot (guilt) before we shot it. The rest was pretty much developed on the fly… We had general ideas, but, with the time constraints, we really didn’t have a good grasp on what we could or couldn’t accomplish until we got to the shoot.
The toughest shoot was definitely Anxiety. We had no idea what we were going to do for that story. So, Jacob and I sat down on a Sunday afternoon with our father (Lonnie Hamil) and our brother (Reed Hamil) to get some consultation on the topic. Once we had finished talking to them, we drew up a scripting idea and shot it about 2 hours later.
Anger and Self-Worth, were no picnic either. Between our deadline rapidly drawing near and having to deal with the workday schedules of our actors and actresses, the shoots had to be planned to a “t.” All things considered, I think that everything went extremely smooth.
This project took about 2 solid weeks of 18-hour days on location and sitting in front of my computer with a really bad bug in the middle of it that had me on NyQuil for about 3 full days. On top of that, Jacob’s involvement in school really limited the amount of time he was able to be involved in post production, but, he didn’t let that stop him from really putting in a lot of effort. He admits that I had to do most of the work on this project, but, he was really the glue that held this thing together. He kept a lot of the little things in order and kept them from turning into big things (aka: production delays). From continuity on set to putting together the ending credits, Jacob did a smashing job.
Between, 9 Locations, 72 visual effects shots, 2 green screen shoots, 16 3d animations, 5 edits, 5 color grades, and 15 songs, this was the single biggest production we’ve done and did it with no budget and no time.
I don’t brag on my work, but, I’m darn proud to have been a part of this.
I really can’t thank everyone involve enough, either. If you watch the film, please watch through the ending credits as there are a ton of people who helped, and, frankly, I’m completely wiped out and don’t think I have it in me to type anymore.
If you’ve made it this far, I applaud you. I hope to have another blog soon with a breakdown of the film from start to finish.
-Ross
From Jacob:
I have really been blessed with this incredible opportunity! I loved working with the LCU Counseling Center and the Out of the Darkness committee on this great venture. With school stress at an all time high for me, it was a little overbearing to accept another large bit of work and without Ross none of this would have happened. I learned a ton from this film and this experience and it’s been a great three weeks.
I can’t tell you how much Ross did. He’s a genius mastermind of visual effects and camera work. I enjoyed doing the more tedious things in production like working on set cosmetics, lighting, running back and forth from the car to grab different things, getting lunch, script writing, and being comic relief. I really wish I could have done more, but due to computer restrictions and school engagements my work was pretty limited (hopefully the computer will be solved in the near future). All of that to say, if Ross didn’t put the time and effort into this film, it was sure to be a disaster.
I’ve been really blessed to work for G&H Media since May, 2012.The fluid work that we do is really owed to the great work environment. I was told last week that we work “too well together.” I love my job!! All the experience is much appreciated and I look forward to doing more outside-the-box jobs like “Out of the Darkness.” It was a fantastic venture and I hope to get to be as creative in future jobs.
-Jacob
Thanks for 2012
Thanks for 2012
Well, the end of 2012 is here and with it a ton of great experience. Lots of great things have happened (personally and professionally). We’ve shot several great weddings and had fun with the television work we’ve done. We were even given the opportunity to get to shoot some behind the scenes footage for the new IMAX theater here in Lubbock. None of this, however, would have been possible without these three people, and to them, I would like to give special thanks:
1. Haley Hamil – She has not only helped shoot, she has provided huge support at home while this venture has started taking off. She and I enjoyed bringing our baby boy into this world and we have enjoyed every bit of sleep we could get our hands on since then.
2. Donna Hamil – Beyond providing a place for me to stay during out of town work, she has spent the most time behind a camera (besides myself) and you can double that time considering she was operating 2 cameras at once. She also has done a wonderful job handling all of my out of town banking.
3. Last, but, certainly not least: Jacob Hamil – I don’t know where to begin here. Jacob started assisting me back in May with a huge last minute wedding in San Antonio, but, the business did not really peak his interest until we worked together on one of his school projects (which has spawned into another venture altogether) and that lit the spark. Since then, Jacob has edited several projects and saved me more time than I could have ever imagined. Not only has he made an effort to learn a lot, he has put it into practice. He has been the single biggest asset behind the computer that I have had to opportunity to bring on board.
Having said all of that, I would like to present them all with an “Employee of the Year” certificate. But, since I don’t have any certificates, they get this blog post and the title and all of the bragging rights involved.
It would be amiss to leave off several other people who made this year possible:
- Laicy Madrid – Mad Marketing: Thanks for all of the opportunity to bring a creative touch to the television in the Permian Basin.
- Tricia Hamil – Viridian Design Studios: Thank you for all of the opportunities you have sent our way
- Dr. Usha Kurra – Hindu Association of West Texas: Many thanks for introducing us into some Indian Culture and for all of the opportunities that are coming with it.
- All of our friends in the WCWP and Wedding Cinema Forums: You guys know how to stress me out and make me laugh all in the same thread. Keep up the good work (or waste of time)
- Reed and Julie Hamil: You two got me out of a huge bind for camera people at least once
thanks for the help!
Lastly, thanks to everyone who has been there to support us: from our clients to our friends. Thank you and may 2013 be even better!
Ross Hamil
Owner of G&H Media Productions
Aaron and Lacey’s Spotlight
Aaron and Lacey’s Spotlight
Of all of the wedding films we’ve produced, this may be my favorite. I have known Aaron and Lacey for several years and they have become very dear friends. Having known them before they were an “item” and seeing this relationship develop all the way to the wedding has been nothing short of magical.
This has been the single, most difficult wedding spotlight that I have edited. Not for any reason other than it was difficult to cut anything out that was filmed. The vows were very meaningful and personal and it was very hard to pick out what made the final edit.
They are a great couple who had a wonderful wedding. I hope everyone enjoys watching this as much as I enjoyed shooting and editing it!
CONGRATULATIONS AARON AND LACEY!
Mayes-Sites Wedding Highlight Video in San Antonio, TX
Mayes-Sites Wedding Spotlight Film
When it comes to my wedding video business, apparently, I am either a glutton for punishment or I enjoy taking on a challenge.
This last weekend was no exception. With two days’ notice, I was booked for to shoot a wedding video 7 hours away from home, in San Antonio, Texas. Not a big deal, except two days isn’t much time to get a trip prepared. We were able to book a hotel less than 5 miles from the church and the reception sites, which was nice, but, with a major highway closure, it still took at least 45 minutes to get anywhere.
This was definitely an adventure.
I typically get to meet my couples before their wedding day, but, this booking was so last minute, that my first encounter with Brooke was not until I and my team showed up to shoot. It was a little unnerving, but, Brooke was quick to make us feel welcome. Shepard was no different. They were both incredibly grateful and wonderful to work with.
It was a great day. Starting off shooting in an incredible suite at the JW Marriott Resort, then moving to the Alamo Heights United Methodist Church for the ceremony.
After a quick post-ceremony creative session, we hustled back to the Marriott where we would end up the evening with the reception.
As neat as everything was, the reception was amazing. Tricia Hamil (with Viridian Design Studios) did an incredible job. I, personally, have never seen that many roses (nor have I ever seen diamond studded roses) and it was an amazing sight her team take a basic ball room and transform it into a wonderland.
The music for the evening was provided by Blind Date and (as always) they hit it out of the park.
All in all, it was so much fun, I was sad to see when the evening was over, but, it was a night that will not be quickly or easily forgotten!
Congrats Brooke and Shep!
Vendors:
Wedding Design:
Tricia Hamil – Viridian Design Studio
Hotels:
JW Marriott
Church:
Alamo Heights United Methodists
Rentals:
Marquee Rents:
Barb & Slick Johnson - Marquee Event Group
Linens:
Wildflower Linen
Lighting:
Photography:
Transportation:
Music:
Hair/Makeup:
Raquel – Makeup
Alldredge Gardens TV Spots
Alldredge Gardens TV Spots
As most of you know, we do mostly wedding videos. When we’re not doing wedding videos, we have more tricks up our sleeves, such as sports videos and shooting television commercials.
Last Monday, I had the opportunity to shoot a couple of TV spots for Alldredge Gardens in Midland, TX.
It was a busy day, but, an extremely productive one. We shot two separate commercials over 4 separate locations. Thanks to Laicy Madrid at Mad Marketing, I was able to not only get this job, but, move equipment a lot faster because she wasn’t afraid to get her hands a little dirty and do some heavy lifting.
Here are the two spots we shot and edited.
Mitchell and Callie’s Spotlight Video
Mitchell and Callie’s Spotlight Video
Love was in the air on St. Patrick’s Day, 2012.
This was the day that Mitchell and Callie decided to tie the knot.
I had met with Mitchell and Callie on Halloween weekend in 2011 to discuss doing their wedding video. We had a great meeting and ended up booking and signing the contract on the spot.
I rarely regret any of the video jobs I take on and this wedding was no exception.
It started a day early for us as Mitchell’s parents hired me to video parts of the rehearsal dinner.
The evening was decorated in antiques and took place at “The Lake House” provided by Johnson Street Church of Christ, in San Angelo, TX. We were afforded the unique opportunity to capture a special dance with Mitchell and his mother, Elizabeth.
The catering was provided by my sister-in-law’s family and we ate like kings. Later that evening, we were invited to partake in festivities and were treated as close friends.
The day of the ceremony brought forth some interesting challenges. This was our first opportunity to film a first look and the weather was not cooperative. We had hoped to video the first look outside in the courtyard, but, wind and a chance of rain changed those plans. We instead improvised and shot the video in the foyer of the sanctuary and it was beautiful.
The wedding ceremony was short and simple. There were laughs and there were tears. It was a memorable wedding day.
Brett & Randi’s Wedding Spotlight Video in Midland, TX
Brett & Randi’s Wedding Spotlight Video in Midland, TX
On October 29th, Brett and Randi were to exchange vows and begin the rest of their lives together. On October 28th, they found out that (due to a miscommunication) that the intended videographer had not been booked.
On the evening of October 28th, I was driving to Midland to video a football game for a contract and at about 7pm, I received a text message from a friend who asked if I might be able to pick up a last minute wedding video as an emergency because he had been approached about shooting but had not been confirmed. After gathering all the information I could, I accepted the offer and set up the booking.
Less than 24 hours later, Adam and I arrived at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, at 3pm, where I was about to video Randi’s Bride Prep, and we were to meet my little brother, Reed, who transported all of our sound recording equipment from out of town for us. Less than 10 minutes later, the girls arrived and it was time to start rolling film.
When it was time to start filming the bride prep, I finally met the photographer, Courtney Ryburn. She did an absolutely fantastic job. She and her crew were not only extremely professional, but, they were very polite and courteous, and easy to get along with. Courtney and her team are by far the best we’ve had the opportunity to work with and it was an absolute pleasure.
After the bride prep, we started getting things ready for the ceremony and we were looking at facing a few minor bumps in the road with the sanctuary, but, those were quickly and easily put to rest after speaking with the pastor.
We capped the day off with the reception at the Midland Oil Club. Between the beautiful venue, the extravagant decorations, and the incredible music by Blind Date, that will be an evening not soon forgotten.
Photos: Courtney Ryburn http://www.courtneyryburn.com
Live band: Blind Date http://www.blinddateaustin.com
Venue: St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
Hamil/Ponder Wedding Spotlight Video
Hamil/Ponder Wedding Spotlight Video
This particular wedding video holds a special place in my heart because I was given the opportunity to be a part of my little brother’s wedding day. We had been working on this wedding for months and I had started quite early on composing an Engagement Reenactment Video to show at the wedding before his bride walked down the aisle. In the days leading up to the wedding we spent a lot of time with Reed and Julie and when the day finally arrived, it was a wonderful experience for all of us.
This one is particularly different because the choice in music was very dictated by the atmosphere at the wedding. You will have to watch the video to see what I mean.
Jasmine and Priscilla Quinceañera Spotlight Video in Hobbs, NM
Jasmine and Priscilla Quinceañera Spotlight Video
Jasmine and Priscilla celebrated turning 15 on June 25, 2011, in Hobbs, NM.
It was an interesting experience. It was my first time attending, and our (mine and Adam’s) first time shooting quinceañera and it was a double. The ceremony was standard procedure, but, the reception/dance was where the fun really started. It took place in what previously was a bowling alley that had been remodeled into a venue. The black and turquoise was a nice touch and the video turned out fantastic.
This was our first shoot using DSLR and we couldn’t be happier.
Welcome to 2013
Wow. What a year 2012 was. Lots of learning and vast improvement on the business side of things. It had its ups and it’s downs, but, someone once said that the pinnacle of success is built on a mountain of failures. While I don’t look at anything we accomplished last year as a failure, there sure were a bunch of obstacles and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
In 2012, aside from several weddings, we were able to produce several television commercials as well as some promotional materials. That was a major roller coaster.
The biggest roller coaster was the birth of my son (seen in the picture above). With a face like that, I’m sure I will receive many threats from many daddies in the years to come. He is now 8 months old and is just as happy as he was in that picture.
My daughter is 8 years old and will soon be officially mine. I met my wife and daughter 7 years ago when she was a year and a half old and within the week, I will officially adopting her! I am very excited. To her I’ve always been “Daddy” so, it took some explaining to get her to understand that while I have been “Daddy” we have to do this so she can get my last name and that it will be official.
Two years ago, my wife was laid off from her job, which was huge blessing. The company had been sold from an individual who had stopped caring to a larger corporation who cared even less and it was a burden on everyone. That incident forced us to make some serious life changes and made me take the leap into self employment. She is now a stay-at-home mom who gets to work a few odd jobs here and there when she wants to.
With our past behind us we are running as hard as we can into the future.
So far, this year, we are looking to expand our corporate business to start including graphic design as well as more instructional and promotional materials for businesses and organizations. Our commercial business is really skyrocketing and it looks like we will possibly be doing as many jobs in the first quarter as we did in our entire year last year.
I can’t thank everyone enough for their support through these first couple of years. I would like to thank some people specifically.
Laicy Madrid at Mad Marketing (Odessa, TX)
Without her unquestionable support, G&H Media Productions would be a part time gig for me (if not just a glorified hobby). She has brought in a ton of business for us and continues to do so. She has really been the biggest hitter in our line-up of business assets and I look forward to continuing to working with her.
The MCS Booster Club
I can’t thank them enough for the opportunities they have given me. They are ultimately responsible for affording me the opportunity to quit my full-time day job (in 2011) and pursue this venture full time. I also appreciate their understanding this year when I wasn’t able to spend as much time in Midland shooting this year as I did last year on account of a new baby in our house.
Coach Greg McClendon (MCS Head Coach) and Coach Cooper Schoolcraft
Oftentimes, shooting film is a thankless job and doesn’t come with much recognition (outside of wedding work), but, these two gentlemen take the opportunities to thank us for what we do. Despite what some people may think, shooting press box footage is not easy. It requires setting up and tearing down (often having to climb several feet in the air via ladders that were not designed for being able to haul equipment) and standing on your feet for several hours in one place in the bitter cold, the pouring rain (during homecoming while the city is flooding), the scorching sun, or the West Texas wind and dirt storms. It’s nice to be thanked for being out in those conditions and to be told that it is the best footage they have ever had. We honestly try our hardest to make the best out of everything we do and it’s nice to receive recognition and we like to recognize them in return for their kind words.
Tricia Hamil at Viridian Design Studios (Kerrville, TX)
Although our work with her is somewhat limited by distance, she has been super encouraging and has given us some rare opportunities to shoot the kinds of weddings that you only find in destination locations. She is incredibly organized and has taken great care of us every time we have worked together.
Donna Hamil (my mother)
She has not only provided me and my team a place to stay when we shoot in the Midland/Odessa Area, she shot a good portion of the press box footage for the 2012 MCS football season. After a few hiccups and just getting used to how things go at the beginning of the season, I daresay that by the end of the season, she was getting better press box footage than I was. When I was watching back the footage she took from the State Championship game (which I was unable to attend), I was blown away. I would put her shooting up against anything you see on TV and hers is probably better.
Jacob Hamil (my brother and business associate)
Of all the help I have had in this business, Jacob has certainly been the most eager to learn and the least satisfied with what he has accomplished. Jacob’s attitude mirrors my own in that good enough is never good enough. He holds his work standards above his abilities and is always disappointed with his end result. That’s what takes someone from good to great. He has produced several products that go untouched to our customers. He passes my quality checks every time, so, by no means am I downplaying his work, but, instead complimenting his work ethic and desire to always be better at what he does than he currently is. He has brought in some interesting business in his time as well as met with customers and done a fantastic job.
One customer had this to say:
“Thank you so much for setting up the meeting with Jacob. He was absolutely amazing.
I was very impressed with his professionalism, kindness, and diligence.
I am very excited to have y’all be a part of our special day! Thank u again!!!
Cheers,
Wendy & Leo “
There is no greater praise than that of a customer and for that, he deserves a round of applause (insert clapping here).
I apologize to anyone that I have missed, but, know that every one of you deserve credit for your help in building this business
2013 is going to be an even bigger year and we can’t wait to see what all is in store.
Thanks again,
Ross
Lights! Camera! Wait! Where are the Lights???
Lights! Camera! Wait! Where are the Lights???
Know what to expect from your venue’s lighting
I recently shot a wedding at a newer venue in town. It’s a nice place for this area and I hope to do more business there. Having said that, I don’t want this to come off as me saying anything negative about the establishment. So, to the point… When it comes to shooting video, lighting is very important. This comes as no surprise to most people. Conversely, the lack of lighting is a problem. As I have said before, I only write these articles as issues arise for me.
An example of a poor lighting situation during a ceremony
So, what is the issue this time? Ceremony lighting. Sometimes it’s a problem. Sometimes it’s not. And chances are, it’s not much of a problem for anyone except the videographer. Most of the time your photographer will have a flash.
Take a look at the picture on the left. All of the lighting is up behind the couple and shining mostly toward the top of the officiant’s head. The solution to this (as far as the venue is concerned) is simple. A couple of flood lights could easily be mounted to the ceiling and they could be pointed down toward the couple.
Obviously, installing light fixtures right before a wedding isn’t an optimal (or reasonable) solution. So, again, the best course of action is prevention. Most couples will visit their wedding venue before the wedding. So, while you are there, just ask them to have the lights set like they would at a ceremony. If the lights are like those in the picture, find out if there is alternative lighting.
If there aren’t any alternative lighting options provided by the venue, call your videographer. After all, YOU are the center of attention and the spotlight should be on you.
Voted: Best Videographer – Lubbock, TX
Welcome to our website. We are grateful that you are here. If you are here to enjoy the Spotlight Films we have featured, then feel free to browse. If you, or someone you know, is getting married and are looking to book someone to shoot the wedding video, we have some resources available to aid you in the decision and help you make the best choice when it comes to picking your videographer. The resources can be found on our "Tips" page along with several other articles and videos to help you along the road to a successful wedding day.
Thanks again for visiting,
Ross Hamil
